Posts published in Day: June 21, 2019

Donald Trump reportedly gave initial approval for the US military to launch strikes on Iran in retaliation for Tehran shooting down an American drone, before pulling back at the last minute. Planes were in the air and ships were in position, but no missiles had been fired when word came to stand down on Thursday night, the New York Times quoted an unnamed official as saying. US military and diplomatic…

The Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) informed media that the suspect in the shooting of two taxi drivers outside Tallinn’s Telliskivi Creative City early on Friday morning, 30-year-old Raivo Jürimäe, was found and identified at a bus stop in the village of Nabala in the early afternoon. According to Prefect Kristian Jaani, Jürimäe committed suicide when police arrived. Police had been working to identify and apprehend the suspect in…

A deal procuring €40 million-worth of long-range anti-tank weaponry has been signed between Estonia and German arms company EuroSpike GmbH. The Centre for Defence Investment (RKIK), the state body responsible for defense procurement on behalf of the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF) and other organizations, and representatives of EuroSpike signed the framework agreement for the procurement on Thursday, BNS reports. The agreement, signed by Priit Soosaar, head of procurements department at…

Latvian Justice Minister Janis Bordans (New Conservative Party, JKP) during his visit to Ukraine today will sign a memorandum of understanding with Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Stepan Kubiv in order to protect industrial property rights, Justice Ministry’s representative Lana Maulina reported. The memorandum of understanding will prove resolution of Latvia and Ukraine to promote development of economy and trade, as well as industrial property in both countries. Bordans during his…

The Estonian Supreme Court en banc on Friday deemed unconstitutional and invalid the Aliens Act in the part that rules out granting a temporary residence permit to an Estonian citizen’s registered same-sex partner for leading family life in Estonia. The issue concerning the constitutionality of the Aliens Act that reached the top court sprouted from two court cases in which the complainants appealed the Police and Border Guard Board’s decisions…

A legal state does not mean that someone can be above the law or set their own standards that do not apply to others. he public is entitled to know what consultations have taken place on the draft law and which interest groups have defended the need for some law or, on the contrary, have delayed the adoption of some law, said Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis in his last address…

Leaders of EU countries have less and less influence on talks on the distribution of the top posts, with Europe’s main parties taking over the initiative, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite warned on Thursday. “If only the distribution (of posts) among political parties happens, so that will mean a step to the side from the European treaties, and this way the role of the European Council will be weakened with the…

While media reported that Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins claimed that, by reducing the excise duty on alcohol, Estonia has broken an agreement previously established with Latvia, Estonian Interior Minister Mart Helme said that this claim can only be Latvia’s domestic policy propaganda. Helme said that, by lowering the excise duty, Latvia is behaving wisely, more wisely than the two previous governments of Estonia. But the analysis that became the…

The Latvian Saeima on Thursday agreed in principle on cutting the rate of excise tax on alcohol by 15 percent. The decision was made in reaction to Estonia’s decision to cut the excise duty for alcohol, which in turn created risks in regards to sales volumes of Latvian produced alcohol and thus less budget revenue. Altogether 61 MPs supported the bill, while eight parliament members voted against. The bill will…

For Development/For has decided to withdraw its proposal on restitution of Jewish properties seized from the Latvian Jewish community during the holocaust and the Communist regime by paying EUR 40 million in compensation. The party’s leader Daniels Pavluts said that the bill has been withdrawn because of objections of other lawmakers and claims that there had been no discussions held on the initiative. Palvluts calls on lawmakers to work jointly…